Heart Mate
by IpiuGate
Summary: Just another Soulmate AU. Interconnected drabbles, mostly follows canon.
1. Lucy

Hey this is an old story that I had lying around. It's nothing special but I hope others can enjoy it. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

In this AU people are get soul marks like birthmarks around the time they're 13 and they get coloured in when they meet their soulmate.

* * *

She looked down at her hand, to the mark that had given her this wonderful new family. She didn't know which mark was more important to her at this point, the one on her hand, for everyone to see, or the on her side, hidden from view most of the time.

She didn't know when it had turned from its tea stain colour to this vibrant gold, which lifted her spirits so easily. She had met her soulmate during the end of her travels or when arriving at the guild. She didn't know exactly.

She thought of sharing it with Levy, after all she and the petite girl had shortly become the best of friends but didn't want to give any more ammunition for the girls to tease her. After all, if any Fairy Tail mages were to see the fiery heart on her skin, they would probably assume that Natsu was the one it represented. She didn't think so however. Natsu was a real friend and he could be sweet sometimes but he could never give her the romantic experience she craved. He was a great partner on missions and stood on equal terms with Levy in terms of attachment but he was too childish and lacked gentleness for her to consider him a good match for her.

She might share her thoughts with Levy eventually but for now, her inner turmoil would remain secret, denying any romantic connection with her newfound guildmate.


	2. Gajeel I

Gajeel had never cared about all of that soulmate stuff much. He might have once, when Metalicana first explained it, but in Phantom Lord love wasn't much of an advantage. Tons of people there didn't have soulmarks because nobody gave a shit and no questions would be asked, no pity given. So he never looked to see if he had one. Juvia had told him he did once, said it looked like a book, but that didn't matter; especially if it was a book. What good was a partner who couldn't fight? Readers may be smart but if they couldn't use that knowledge to fight, and most of them didn't, intelligence was wasted on them.

So he had gone through life without giving a damn or a second thought. It wasn't until long after Phantom Lord's defeat that he saw the tattoo had become the deepest shade of blue and wondered if he hadn't messed up somewhere. The fight with that Salamander idiot had reminded him of Metalicana and he had to admit, the bastard would not be proud of him. And though he had tried not to care that he had been abandoned, he couldn't help but admit that he didn't really want to let him down. It was sentimental crap to think that way but deep down he still cared, even though he hated it.


	3. Levy

When Lucy had shown her the golden tattoo on her ribcage, Levy had been exited but somewhere inside, a pang of envy went through her. She immediately quizzed her friend on the moment it changed colour and teased her lightly about the flames' connection to the guild pyromaniac but understood that Lucy was not ready to accept what seemed so obvious to her. Love, she guessed, was complicated, having seen proof in Jet and Droy's bodyguard tendencies. She wondered what kind of person her soulmate could be. The details of her mark were hard to make out, especially since it was nearly on her back. It was on her hip, between her side and her back so it was uncomfortable for her to study it. At least it provided reassurance that she had someone waiting for her out there. She had heard stories of people with no marks when she was a child and had been worried that would be her case but the mark's arrival had calmed her fears.

From what others had said, her mark was some kind of script, surrounded by smoky wisps. It wasn't very clear and she had not been able to identify the language on her skin.

But until her soulmate showed up, she would monitor her friend's blossoming relationship and ask Mira for help when the time was right.


	4. Mirajane

Mira liked to pair people up, everyone in the guild knew that. But there were some things they didn't realize like the way she would always know the most hidden of tattoos and thought of who they might represent, the colour of the mark and their owner's suspicions. Neither did they realize that she actually did it for Lisanna. Her little sister had been so kind and gentle and yet, she had not received a tattoo before her death and here she was, a demon in human form with a small purple dragon on her back. She didn't know who it was. The number of people she had met before receiving it was large, as she had been on missions by that time and though it could indicate a dragon slayer, tattoos were not always so obvious. When she had turned 15 she shared the experience with Erza, whose tattoo was on her lower back. When she had described it, the Ursa constellation had been meaningless but the other girl's face had turned stormy when Mira complimented the shade: as red as her hair. That detail seemed more meaningful than the shape apparently. Mira had often asked if he was a Celestial Mage or something of that kind but she stopped when Erza had proclaimed him a ghost, haunting her nightmares.

Mirajane could understand the pain of the past and, despite her desire for romance, she would not force Erza to face that, even for the sake of a happy ending.


	5. Gajeel II

He hadn't known the first time he saw her. Hadn't noticed and hadn't cared. But then again, he didn't care the second or third time either. There was that time when Salamander and his friends had come back and he heard her defending his presence against the blonde one. That was something he remembered, partly because he couldn't decide if it showed strength or weakness to act that way.

Then there was that time the guy with the lighting had been pissed off. He could understand that. In Phantom Lord, losers wouldn't get off easy either but he couldn't let him take it out on her, not after he had beat her up so badly himself. He didn't really know how to feel about that. Letting himself be pounded by that Laxus guy was one thing; but protecting the bookworm? The Fairies were making him soft.

He started to realise during the messed up contest the Thunder Legion organised. The way she could focus so completely to undo another's magic… it was really awesome. He never thought a Fairy bookworm could do something like that.

Then there were the S-class trials. Sure, he mostly joined so he could fight but he wouldn't have done so if he had to assist anyone else. He could have spent that time training alone, having peace and quiet at last, or gone on a mission to put jewels aside for some quality iron.


	6. Jellal

When he saw that scarlet shade on his skin, he knew the pain this revelation would cause her. The thought amused him, she should not have run away and this only proved that fate would force her back here in the end.

* * *

He had very few memories. The previous weeks were perfectly clear in his mind but anything beyond that was faded. He finally remembered the red though. That beautiful scarlet he had seen, both recently and as a child. It was the colour of her hair, the name he had given her when they were both children and the same shade as the proud straight sword that was on his arm.

He saw her often over the years but although she likely knew, he could not drag her down with him. It saddened him but that was a small price to pay to see her smile with her friends, free to protect her guild. She deserved that freedom.

They might have been soulmates but he would not acknowledge their bond until his sins were purged.


	7. Juvia I

Some people in Phantom Lord did not have Soul Marks. Aria was well known for being blank, as he didn't hesitate to cry about it when the subject came up. Because of this, Juvia didn't talk about soulmates with others in the guild but she couldn't help herself from noticing those that did have them. Gajeel had one near his wrist; Totomaru's was on his neck and rumours said Sol had one on his ankle.

Juvia had always loved her soul mark. It was proof that someone would accept her despite the rain that surrounded her, someone who wouldn't find her gloomy or leave her behind. Phantom had accepted her strength but her soulmate would love her. That meant the world to her and she was sure she would love them just as much.


	8. Laxus

The wings seemed to come from a child's nightmare but the rest of the picture was truly angelic. It was a woman, that was clear to see but it was hard to notice much apart from those demonic wings, spread as if in flight, attached to her back.

When he first saw it as a boy, he was afraid of anyone with wings like that. Now though, he was mostly confused as to what it could mean. He had met her a very long time ago and her tattoo couldn't be any easier to figure out because nobody ever approached him about it either. He was fairly certain they met in Magnolia, he didn't leave the city too much as a kid and his mark had come fairly early. Freed and Bickslow had seen it of course and it was quite possible that Ever had seen it too but they never talked about it. Freed had none, as far as he knew, so the topic was fairly taboo between them. Bickslow had a white doll with a kitten. It wasn't very manly but the guy seemed to love it anyway. Ever had one too but he didn't know what it was. It was green though so they must have already met as well.

So Laxus wondered sometimes, when he could have met that angel with the demon wings and why an angel of any kind would want him as a soulmate anyway.


	9. Natsu I

Natsu didn't know much about Marks. People talked about them sometimes in the guild but he never listened in because it was boring and it was the kind of thing Erza said was rude and got angry with him for.

He'd seen Gray's though; it was hard not to with the way he always forgot his clothes. It was this weird slightly darker spot of skin on his chest near the bottom of his ribcage. After they had started rebuilding the guild, it had become even more obvious since it turned pale blue. Natsu had one too, on his collarbone, but you couldn't see it underneath Igneel's scarf.

It was pink like his hair, though he couldn't see it very well so he didn't know what shape it had. He hoped it was better than the Ice Princess's sun and cloud at least; whoever his soulmate was they had to be the best.


End file.
